I am the old, fiery-faced man from the senior department.

Hmph, let you be happy for a little while longer.

There's more to come later.

"Sir, there's a river up the mountain. How about we catch a few fish later to make soup to go with our wine?"

As he traveled upstream along the stream during the day, despite carrying the painter on his back, he did not forget to plan the tea and snack time later.

"Scale soup... How big can the scales be in this little stream? They're probably just small seedlings, no bigger than the palm of your hand if you scoop them up."

The artist was tempted, but the stream beside the two was... far too small; it was more like a mountain stream.

As the saying goes, the deeper the water, the bigger the scales. So you can imagine how big the scales you can catch in this stream that looks no bigger than an artist's calf.

“Sir, you are too attached to appearances. There may not be any fat fish in this stream, but your painting contains a hundred rivers, and the fish in them must be incredibly plump.”

The beauty of daytime lies not in the stream, but in the sunset.

"So you were after my painting."

The artist's gaze swept across the corner of the daylight, her bright eyes shifting slightly, and her lips parted gently:

"Trying to catch fish from my Ink River is no easy task."

"Please enlighten me, sir."

The artist gently lifted the hand that was resting on the dragon's shoulder and placed it on the dragon's hair.

"If you want to catch my scales, you must offer tribute to the master of the painting. If the offerings do not please the master of the painting, not only will you not be allowed to enter the Ink River, but you will also be punished by the master of the painting."

"Oh, then what does this artist like? I will do my best to fetch it and present it to him with both hands."

During the day, he only felt a finger lightly tap his right corner. Then he heard the artist's words:

"A pair of dragon horns carved from the finest mountain jade, with orange amber being the best color, are needed for him to play with."

"I see."

Bai Zhou chuckled upon hearing this.

"I'll just play with these two pairs of things. When you get tired of them, I'll get you a new pair."

"Can this be exchanged?"

Having received permission, the artist opened his right palm, which had been dotting, and gently pressed it against the right horn of the dragon, then lightly clenched his fist.

Its color is like rock, its texture is like jade, it is warm, clear and translucent.

Upon closer inspection, one can also discover mountain-like patterns inside, and the shape of this corner is as sharp and distinct as an inverted mountain.

The two horns, like two mountains facing each other or like veins growing together, have been carved into a golden crown, as if this crown were truly formed from two majestic and extraordinary mountains!

"It wasn't possible before, but after the trip to Tianyue, not only can this corner change, but also the yin and yang of the body, as well as the form and appearance, can change at will."

Returning to the Seventy-Nine Mountains and Rivers, We Will Meet Again (Part Two)

"Like those two times?"

The artist clearly remembers how dazzling and awe-inspiring the dragon was.

"Ah."

When the horn was captured and played with, Bai Zhou would straighten his neck to prevent it from slipping off and injuring the painter as he turned his head.

The tips of his horns were sharpened; though not as sharp as needles, they could still easily cut through skin.

"Would you like to see me transform?"

How about becoming Ah Yao?

"Next time... hmm, besides that dragon, what else could it transform into?"

The artist initially wanted to say "definitely next time," but then, considering what was to come today, he decided to try to be as happy as possible and changed his mind.

“Whatever you wish to see, I can transform into.”

Bai Zhou is not bragging; he can transform anything within the territory of Yan Kingdom, whether it be flowers, birds, fish, insects, plants, trees, rocks, or mountains.

"Hmm... there's nothing I'd like to see..."

The artist has seen almost everything, so he is not as curious about everything as a child.

But since that's what they've said, wouldn't it be a waste not to offer one?

"Sir, think it over carefully. It's not too late to do this after you've found a place to stay."

The daytime cannot be changed yet. It would be fine if it changed to some animal, but if it changed to grass, trees, rocks, insects, or scales, wouldn't the painter still on his body fall to the ground?

"Well, that's fine too."

They talked about other things and chatted for about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea before finally speaking up to remind the painter while gazing at the bright daylight ahead.

"Sir, there is a pavilion over there. Let us rest here."

Upon hearing this, the painter shifted his attention from the corner of the daytime scene, raised his head to look in the direction the painter had mentioned, and immediately spotted the pavilion.

"can."

The two stopped at the foot of the pavilion, and the painter dismounted from Bai Zhou and landed gracefully on the ground.

"Sir, this place is truly wonderful."

I looked at the pavilion during the day.

"This pavilion is situated on the mountainside, only a hundred meters from the summit, yet it offers a panoramic view of the scenery below, just as if one were on the summit."

"Following the sun's path of rising in the east and setting in the west, one can witness both the sunrise and sunset here, and there are stone tables and benches for enjoying tea and food. Absolutely wonderful!"

"It's really nice, this place is perfect."

The artist had not expected to see such a wondrous place, and was momentarily delighted, so he stopped his mountain climbing journey here.

"That sir."

He brushed the dust off the stool, laid out a soft cushion, and invited the painter to sit down. Bai Zhou then asked:

Would you like to first enjoy tea and the scenery, or drink wine and eat fish?

"Or perhaps, you should first observe my transformation technique?"

"Yes, it is indeed a difficult decision."

The painter looked at the magnificent scenery of the distant mountains and land, and then at the real dragon.

"The scenery of this world is as breathtaking as ever, and your transformation technique is extremely magical. Either one is the best choice. But for the time being, we can only choose one... Since that's the case..."

"I want it all!"

"Hmm, so it's Mr. Ru...?"

Bai Zhou was slightly stunned, and looked at her with considerable confusion.

"What, you can't?"

The painter stared intently at him; his eyes were bright, his teeth white, and his features clear and lustrous.

"Of course... I will do my best to fulfill your request, sir."

"But what change does the master want me to make?"

"At once……"

The artist pondered for a moment, and a flash of inspiration struck him.

"Let me become a raccoon dog."

"Raccoon slave?"

During the day, I thought it would be something like a crane or a leopard, but it turned out to be a raccoon dog.

"These past few days I've often seen a pure white cat running around the palace, but I haven't been able to get close to see it. Now that I have you, it's a small relief."

The artist's words brought a smile to Bai Zhou's face.

"The cat you mentioned, sir, must be my Jade Sky Flying Cat."

"I've raised it for many years, so I can imitate it to some extent."

After he finished speaking, a gentle breeze swirled around him, and after a few breaths, the dust that had gathered together dispersed.

"Ugh, it feels a bit strange to talk in this body, meow~."

A cat landed lightly on the table. Its size was about the length of the painter's arm, and about twenty centimeters long excluding its tail.

Its azure eyes have now truly turned into cat's-eye stones, and its pure white fur is as white as salt and as white as cotton. If you were to throw it into a snowdrift, you would probably need a pair of superhuman eyes to notice the difference between the two.

"Hmm...it feels..."

Before Bai Zhou could finish speaking, he was already being held in the artist's arms.

"It's surprisingly good, Ah Xi."

The soft, fluffy fur felt wonderful to the touch; the artist could stroke it from head to tail with just a gentle swipe of their hand.

"Snoring... sir, this... snoring... feels a little strange... snoring~"

After a few strokes by the artist, Xi Mao couldn't resist the feeling of comfort and began to purr like a real cat.

"This kind of Ah Xi is quite good."

The artist felt that his current state of petting the cat and enjoying the scenery was the best depiction of a leisurely life.

"If the gentleman likes it... snoring... then that's good... snoring~"

Xi Mao rubbed its head against the painter's lap and lay down with her, gazing at the distant scenery.

"Sir, when shall we go to eat fish?"

"Is it that urgent? Or has it transformed into something that makes it crave the food of illusory things?"

The artist extended a finger and gently touched the soft fur on the cat's ear with the fingertip. The cat purred incessantly until it curled up into a ball of liquid.

"Don't rush, wait a little longer. When the sun is about to set, that will be the best time to drink wine and eat fish."

The artist has done extensive research on this subject and can be described as "proficient in this art".

"According to Mr. Yi."